surge in violence. >> thanks for joining us. we'll be back every half hour with updates. life of the party. new jersey's fiery governor chris christie will be the keynote speaker at this month's republican national convention. after considering a run of his own, what will he do with this moment in the spotlight. demanding an answer? u.s. port authority calling for an investigation into the $100 million security system at the airport after a stranded jet skier managed to swim ashore, climb the fence and walk across two runways undetected. and photo finish. on monday it was up on abbey road, now matt tries to recapture the magic of michael jordan. >> wow, that's pretty good. >> hi, guys. >> if matt can be like mike, why

is michael jordan laughing today >> if matt can be like mike, why is michael jordan laughing today tuesday august 14th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. he's not really like mike. >> no, not even close. i'm matt lauer, the unofficial -- the official announcement is expected later today. chris christie says he's already grinding away on what will be his keynote address at the republican convention. >> in vintage christie style the governor says he will tell some direct and tough choices to americans. meanwhile paul ryan was met with cheers and a few jeers in iowa at his first solo campaign stop. straight ahead we'll talk about the presidential race with

former republican candidate newt gingrich. >> also, is your home's deck a hidden hazard? we've seen a number of collapses of decks across the country. experts are sake it's because decks aren't built right. coming up, how to spot the warning signs. then a remarkable car crash during a race on colorado's pike's peak. you have to see the video to believe it. what's amazing, the drivers walked away. one of them had a dislocated shoulder but nothing more serious. i'll tell you more about that. >> all right. we'll take a turn. look who followed us home from london, the gold medal winning gymnastic team. they are going to be helping us out all morning and answer questions from our crowd. >> and speaking of the crowd, some of them have been here since monday morning because we've got a live concert from one of the hottest names in music, nicki minaj. >> we want to get the president of politics and the choice to have chris christie deliver the keynote address at the republican convention. nbc's chuck todd is the

political director. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. all about the tough talk about the campaign. the battle to define paul ryan is on. democrats trying to paint him as an ideological warrior determined to take medicare away. republicans selling him as a serious candidate with a serious plan to get the country out of debt. >> it's my running mate paul ryan, a great leader. >> what's gutsy about gutting medicare. >> reporter: the two national tickets may not agree on much, but they are both trying to do the same thing, define paul ryan. >> he attacks problems. he recognizes there are honest differences between honest people. he looks to find ways to find common ground to bring people together. >> he's a very articulate spokesperson for governor romney's vision. the problem is it's the wrong vision for america. >> reporter: making his first solo campaign appearance in iowa monday, ryan hit back at the president who is in the middle of his own iowa bus tour. >> as you see the president come

through on his bus tour, you might ask him the same question that i'm getting asked from people all around america and that is where are the jobs, mr. president. >> reporter: as ryan quickly discovered, the latest flash point is medicare. ryan is the architect of a sweeping medicare reform plan. instead of a government insurance guarantee for health care coverage, ryan's plan calls for the government to give seniors in the future money to buy their own insurance. the president has been attacking ryan's plan for months. >> he plans to turn medicare into a voucher program. so if that voucher isn't worth enough to buy the health insurance that's on the market, you're out of luck. you're on your own. >> reporter: romney is pushing back in the senior citizen rich battleground of california backing ryan's battle plan but specifically not talking about the changes he'd make. >> my plan for medicare is very similar to his plan for medicare, which is do not change the program for current retirees or new retirees, but do not do

what president has done, and that is to cut $700 billion out of the current program. >> in fact the president did not actually cut medicare. the cost of that program continues to rise only at a slower rate but nuance gets lost when it comes to medicare politics. many republicans running down the ballot are nervous about running on ryan's medicare plan. in fact, in one high-profile senate race in montana, one of ryan's republican colleagues is running against it. >> rehberg refused to support a budget plan that could harm a plan so many seniors rely on. >> reporter: one other note, chris christie as keynote, the other contender, marco rubio, he will get the second most koefcod spot, that is to introduce mitt romney when he accepts the nomination. >> thank you. newt gingrich is a one-time speaker of the house and

one-time favorite in the presidential race. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> i've heard in the last 36 hours paul ryan described in different ways. on the one hand i hear he's a game changer for the romney campaign, i also hear he's a dream come true for the obama campaign. what was your first reaction when you heard he was on the ticket? >> i think both are true. my reaction is very, very positive. callista has known him since he was an intern. he's a remarkably bright guy, worked under gene kemp and kilpatrick, has understanding of growth and how to create jobs and has courage. he's a game changer from the democrat's standpoint. he guarantees this is going to be a big issue, big choice election. and our job is going to be to insist on telling the truth about it and to work on issues such as, for example, the fact that no one 55 or older, no one has anything happen to medicare

under the ryan proposal. so to scare current senior citizens is just false. >> let's talk about medicare. we do have to go back to what you said on the weekend. you announced you wanted the republican nomination. when you were talking about that version, paul ryan's version then of reforming medicare you said it was right wing social engineering. he since has evolved. is there anything about his current version of that plan that is still right wing social engineering? >> well, he doesn't of his strength, unlike president obama, who doesn't seem to listen. it's important to remember, the only bipartisan proposal to save medicare for the long run is the ryan plan. it says you can keep the current medicare system. so even if you're 23 years old, if you want to keep the current system, you can do so. the challenge for the president is simple. he did transfer something like

$716 billion out of projected spending in medicare in order to cover the cost of obama care. he did create a 15-person bureaucratic board, which ends medicare as we know it as a doctor-patient system. and for the president to go around pretending that he's going to protect medicare is simply not accurate and not frankly being fair to the american people. let's have an honest debate and let's ask the president and vice president biden to be honest about what they've done and to be honest about the ryan plan, which does not affect anyone at all over 55 years of age. >> you talk about a bipartisan plan. i've heard paul ryan described as a true conservative. you used to describe yourself as that. do you think he is someone who will work and reach across the aisle to democrats, or will he be an immovable object on key social issues and issues of ideology? >> well, i think first of all, you ought to talk to senator ron wyd wyden, who in a very big reform has worked very closely and can

tell you what his relationship has been with paul ryan. in addition, paul's entire experience, he represents an industrial blue collar auto worker district in wisconsin. he is very attune to trying to reach across the aisle to find democrats, to find common ground. i think that his interest is finding a solution, not just going out and having ideological speeches, but he also feels passionately as a father of three that his children are going to be left a bankrupt country unless we do something dramatic. he knows when you look at greece, where there's now 55% teenage unemployment and youth unemployment, 24% unemployment overall, we can't go down that road, which is why frankly governor christie is a great choice for keynote speaker because he was one of the first leaders in take on the cost of government. >> former speaker newt gingrich. mr. gingrich, good to see you. thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you. let's get a check of the morning's other top stories.

natalie, good morning. >> good morning, everyone. raging wildfires are growing out west, burning some 40 buildings so far in central washington state. officials say the fire has scorched more than 24 square miles since it started monday and they're urging residents in the fire's path to evacuate. the fire has also burned some property at a chimpanzee sanctuary, but no animals were injured. the cause of the fire is still unknown. meantime, more blazes are burning in oregon, northern california, and in idaho, where a firefighter was killed sunday when a tree fell on her. the new york port authority is calling for an investigation into how a man was able to bypass jfk airport's $100 million security system all while soaking wet and wearing a bright yellow life jacket. officials say 31-year-old daniel ka ceo ran out of fuel jet skiing, climbed ashore, climbed an eight-foot barbed wire fence, walked across two runways and into a terminal where he asked

for help last friday. he managed to bypass motion detectors and surveillance cameras without raising alarm. the security system exceeds federal requirements but today increased patrols are monitoring the perimeter and the surrounding waterways. the fda has approved a new flu vaccine, it will help combat several new viral strains of the flu and will be manufactures by six companies. up to 20% of americans get the flu each year. mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange. >> we are looking for a rebound on the markets after yesterday's decline. we'll see how much investors like the earnings from home depot, which were better than expected as customers spend more on remodelling their homes, and what cell phone do you use? more and more people are using samsung phones. the south korean company is widening its market share lead over nokia and apple as people tend to like the galaxy phones, which run on android. back to you.

>> thank you. and an incredible car crash caught on tape at the pike's peek international hill climb in colorado. driver jeremy foley and his co-driver flipped off flipped off course somersaulting as you see a dozen times down the side of the mountain. both drivers were airlifted to a local hospital and later released without even a broken bone. hard to believe seeing that. and last night on "the tonight show" with jay leno, first lady michelle obama invoked her rights as mom in chief to give gold medal gymnast gabby douglas a little scolding for her eating habit. >> how did you celebrate that. >> event finals after that. after the competition i splurged on an egg mcmuffin. >> egg mcmuffin. >> gabby, don't encourage him. i'm sure it was a whole wheat mcmuffin. >> on a whole wheat bun. >> egg mcmuffin, very good.

>> you're setting me back, gabby. >> we'll talk to gabby about that a little bit later. mrs. obama also called out another teenager girl, her own daughter. she said 13-year-old malia was disgusted she didn't deliver when the kiss cam caught her and the president at a recent basketball game. so the first daughter arranged for a second shot on the jumbotron. as you remember, they did deliver the goods. it's 7:13. back over to matt, savannah and al. >> thanks very much. let's check in with mr. roker outside among his people or nicki minaj's people i should say. >> wow, a big, big nicki minaj crowd here. we'll check in with them in just a bit. we do have a risk of strong storms today including new york city all the way down to washington, as far north as binghamton, heading back to central new york. as we look on the radar, you can already see we've got storms pushing in.

hopefully rainfall amounts does wonders. some areas >> good morning to you. i'm meteorologist christina loren. temperatures are nice and crisp at the coast and bay side. this is a live look at the golden gate bridge. high pressure forcing the fog to the surface of it it will clear by 10:00. this is san jose completely clear at this hour. a hot day ahead inland. 100 in livermore. 71 in san francisco. the warmest beach city, last great beach day, santa cruz at about 79 degrees. and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al, thanks. there's a new crash test designed to make cars even safer. bah lot of cars are not passing. nbc's tom costello has details this morning. tom, good morning to you. >> hi, savannah, good morning to you. most cars today pass a federal as well as the insurance industry's crash test.

these new crash tests are designed to see what happens when the front of the car, but only the front 25%, is hit in an accident missing the safety instruments there to protect you. the newest crash test from the insurance institute for highway safety is all about the overlap. the 25% overlap portion of the driver's side that hits a barrier or car at 40 miles per hour. each year more than 10,000 people die in front impact crashes. small overlap crashes were responsible for 25% of >> the key crash absorbing structure in vehicles is located here in the middle of the front end. people are vulnerable in small overlap crashes because these structures are bypassed and the crash forces can go directly into the occupant compartment. >> it happened to holland mangiony, who was hit head on last november in virginia. she suffered a concussion,

fractured cheek bone and teeth, a cut to her eye and deep head laceration. >> i don't think it was just hitting glass. i think it was hitting something hard that did that. it was pretty deep laceration. >> in its latest test, only 3 of 11 mid sized luxury cars and near luxury cars earned good or acceptable ratings. the acura tl, volvo s 60 and infinity g. look what happened to the lexus is 250. >> it was one of the worst performers in this test. the front pillar pushed in toward the driver, the front wheel pushed into the occupant compartment and the foot well collapsed trapping the driver's feet. the lexus was one of the worst performers of the new tests. "with this new test the institute has raised the bar again and we will respond to this challenge as we design new vehicles." the mercedes c class and audi

also received poor marks. the volkswagen cc received marginal scores. key to getting scores is a safety cage that protecting everyone regardless of the impact zone. >> strengthen the safety cage and they also need to improve restraint systems. >> audi and volkswagen tell nbc news they are going to work to make sure their car designs meet the new test. mercedes, however, disagrees with the test design, it insists its mercedes is safe. this is a new test raising the bar yet again. >> and raising some eyebrows, too. tom costello, thank you. here's matt. >> helen gurly brown, the woman credited with issuing in the sexual revolution has died.

we look back at the life of cosmo toll it and magazine's long-time editor. >> you've seen her legacy, those big, splashy, sex-filled headlines that cream out from the front page of cosmopolitan magazine. maybe they're not a big deal now but in the 60s, the cosmo girl was empowering. >> "the pill that promises to make women more responsive," she told me once she wanted to say "responsive to men or in bed" but the editors wouldn't let her do what. >> she created a signature look for the magazine. see looked like she had just walked into a party and thought i own this room. >> reporter: brown was ambitious. she pushed to run her own magazine after her blunt how to

dating guide "sex and the single girl" hit the best seller list in 1962. think of her as kerry bradshaw before bradshaw was born. she loved animal prints, fish net stockings and of course -- >> sex is one of the three greatest things there is. i'm not sure what the other two are i guess. are. >> reporter: in a 1995 interview with "dateline," she acknowledged the critics. >> they did instantly criticize us for concentrating on how you look and on being sexy and on pleasing men and i have fought that to the ground. i have said you can be sexy, i hope you're pleasing men, i hope they're pleasing you and i'll just say anybody who accuses cosmo of being fluffy, light hearted, superficial doesn't read the magazine. >> in one way she was a real pioneer truly for women. in another way she promoted a magazine that seemed to have the impact of making women way more

conscious about their physical looks than we need to be. >> reporter: in 2003 at 80, she showed off her tango moves on "today" but complained about getting old. >> i don't find anything wonderful about being 80 except i'm still here and i'm grateful for that. >> reporter: she coached single girls to sleep with married men, but she herself was married for more than 50 years. when she died monday at 90, she was still editor of cosmo's 64 international editions, still went to work most days. her colleagues said the office just won't be the same without her. for "today," kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> and still ahead, five guys, a friendship that's lasted the test of time and 30 years of the exact same photo that tells a story. we'll talk to them. but first this is "today" on nbc.

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>> the time 7:26. good morning. i'm jon kelley. a samurai sword attack and two shootings all in hours of each other in san jose have police add knitting they do not have enough man power. two were killed, one in critical condition. the first shooting happened yesterday afternoon on oakland road and charles street, twa hours later police were called to a second shooting near tully road. then a woman was killed with what appears to be a samurai sword. >> i seen the dude start hitting her over the head with the sword. i guess he hit her over her head and slit her throat and he comes back and started stabbing her more. >> police were forced to call in

officers from home to work overtime. we're learning there were close to 50 calls coming in but because the department was stretched so thin, officers called not get to the calls right away. so far no arrests have been made in the shootings or the sword attack. >> turning to weather, the quote of the day from meteorologist christina loren says this week we're going from sizzle to drizzle. i like that. >> thank you, thank you. i like to rhyme. and you're on time this morning if you're looking for a cooler start. 7:27. yes, i'll do it for me. you can see from the picture we have more low clouds to start with, that natural cooling is going to keep us a touch cooler. you'll notice the difference along the inner bay and right at the coast. 71 degrees today in san francisco. by tomorrow we're going to drop off by 5 to 10 degrees, leveling off thursday, cooler toward the weekend. here is mike. >> we have the south bay slow down which continues to build from northbound 101, coming from capital expressway and slowing really past 680 and 880.

also more jamming as you travel southbound on 880 out of hayward and down into fremont. approaching the milpitas area. 680 smooths out but slow from pleasanton to sunol. the debris has cleared. the westbound direction for the east shore freeway is slow down into berkeley, the accident has cleared around powell. the peninsula south on the right you're slowing at university. back to you. >> thank you. because we like to keep you on top of the latest updates we suggest you check out nbc bay area on facebook. have you ever roller-skied before? yes no when? you don't know everything that i have done. salesman: oh, well, it's wife: well really easy. tell me... [ting] ♪ as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios

. when you think about iconic sport images, michael jordan's soaring dunk in 1988 would come somewhere near the top of the list. coming up on "today in history", the great lengths and pain it took for me to recreate that unforgettable moment. we'll show you how that unfolded. 7:30 on a tuesday morning, august 14, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie. >> nice uniform. also ahead, they wowed the world winning gold in london. now the u.s. women's gymnastics team is taking over rockefeller plaza. we'll catch up with them. and another treat for our crowd and the team. we'll have a live convert for

nicki minaj. >> and news you can use. every summer back yard decks collapsing without warning. and it could have something to do with how your deck is built and attacked to your house. we'll show you how to spot the red flags. >> and robert pattinson makes his first appearance since his long-time girl friend cheated on him. >> but we're going to begin with the sole survivor of a northwest airlines crash survivor that killed 156 people. she's breaker her silence for the first time. >> reporter: this is the official memorial to the victims of flight 255. every passenger on the plane died that day except for one, a little girl named cecelia cichan. despite so much curiosity about hersh she was raised out of public view and has spent her entire life not talking about what happened that day until

now. it was a devastating scene. northwest airlines flight 255 went down just after taking off from the detroit airport in august of 1987. first the crash, then the fire, the wreckage was everywhere. and sifting through it firefighter john seed couldn't believe it was possible until he heard the faint moan. >> at that time i looked to my right and i could see an arm kind of bent coming out of a chair. >> reporter: it belonged to cecelia cichan. the 4-year-old was severely injured with a fractured skull, a broken leg and collar bone and third degree burns covering much of her body, but she was alive. her mother, father and 6-year-old brother, david, died in the crash along with everyone else on the plane and two people on the ground. authorities at the time said they believed cecilia's mom shielded her daughter with her own body.

>> is he tececilia was found in wreckage. >> they called her the miracle child. how did she survive? even in the year after the accident, people clamored for information about her. but cecilia has never spoken publicly about the crash until now. >> i think about the accident every day. it's kind of hard not to think about it when i look in the mirror, i have visual scars. >> reporter: in the after math of the crash, cecilia was shielded from public view, raised by her aunt and uncle in alabama. now 29 and married, her interview was granted to the yet to be documentary sole survivor, featuring people like herself who were in plane crashes and somehow defied the odds. >> this like "sole survivor" project is more about a group and that's why i'm willing to

get involved. and be part of something bigger. >> reporter: director kye dickens said all survivors were somewhat reluctant to speak, sensitive to the loss of other families but aware of the public fascination with their lives. >> i can say cecilia is happy, grounded, she's doing wonderful, in a committed relationship. >> reporter: she has kept in touch with victims' families as she grown, as well as her rescuer, who saw her for the first time as an adult on the day she married. >> to see her come down the aisle, my heart, i lost it really. just to see her in person was something. >> reporter: makers of the documentary "sole survivor" say cecilia is hoping to resume living a very private life. meanwhile on thursday there will be a memorial here marking the 25th anniversary of that crash. it remains to this day one of the worst disasters in u.s. aviation history. savannah, back to you. >> janet, thank you. >> let us get a check of the weather now from mr. roker, who

has joined us again. >> thanks so much, matt. we have the latest on our drought situation. it just does not really get much better. you can see we still have extreme drought through the southeast and in the mid and lower mississippi river valleys. temperatures aren't helping in that area either. we're talking about highs that will be in the 90s to 100s from texas on to the mississippi river valley. you get into the northeast, temperatures start cooling down. we'll see cool downs later this week in the plains states. 113 in albuquerque. look for a high of 89 degrees in st. louis, risk of strong storms here in the northeast >> 7:35 now. a live look over the bay. really cool weather phenomenon happening. high clouds, sun breaking through. still have the bank of low clouds. that's going to keep you cool at the coast. temperatures are going to be in the 70s. 71 in san francisco. cooler in santa cruz. extreme east bay heat persists.

100 degrees again. by tomorrow we'll shave off 5 to 10 degrees even cooler toward the weekend. >> don't forget can you get your weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel on cable on weather.com online. matt? >> thank you very much. robert pattinson is speaking out since the girl friend kristin stewart was caught cheating on him. >> thank you, matt. he's do saying very little about his personal life. >> what have you been up to? >> i thought i prepared for that. i had a joke prepared. >> reporter: sitting down monday night on "the daly show," he tried to break the ice with some

ice cream. he talked about the break of fidelity of his long-time love kristin stewart. >> my biggest problems in life come cheap and i didn't hire a publicist. i had every awkward interview. normally an actor has these things scripted. >> reporter: he had reportedly been in hiding since news of the scandal broke last month. his girl friend cheated on him with director rupert sanders. he thanked fans for the support in his new movie. >> reporter: for her part stewart kept a low profile at her parents home. she said in a statement "i'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment i've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. this momentary indiscretion has

jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person i love and respect the most, rob, i love him, i love him and i'm so sorry. it won't be long until the pair are reunited on the red carpet. the final installment of of "breaking dawn" part two is due out in december. >> jon, i think you're confused about what the real issues are. tonight and maybe other times it is "the twilight" show. >> he seems more comfortable having others doing the talking for him. >> my wish for you is you get to handle your business in private in your personal life. >> his new movie opens in new york and los angeles on friday. matt? >> thank you very much. still ahead, former american idle jo-- idol jordyn sparks ops

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back now at 7:41. this morning on rossen reports a hidden danger in your home. outdoor decks that can potentially collapse. national and investigative correspondent jeff rossen is here with how to protect your family. good morning. >> hey, matt. this is important information. we love our decks. you barbecue on them, invite people over, let the kids play and never worry about it, assuming they are safe. experts say people are getting hurt and killed because decks aren't built right, in danger of fall apart under your feet. this morning you're about to watch a collapse up close. it happens in a split second. you step onto your backyard deck, and it comes crashing down, no time to escape. no warning at all. >> if you're standing here taking a picture -- >> reporter: these teenagers in indiana were posing for their prom picture when suddenly the

floor opened up. chaos. >> oh my gosh. >> reporter: they were okay and walked away. >> is everybody all right? >> i think so. >> reporter: not everyone is so lucky. >> the ambulance, what is the address of your emergency? >> reporter: in austin, texas, a late night party turned into a horror show. >> a balcony has collapsed. maybe 25 to 30 people were on the balcony. it collapsed. it just dropped. >> reporter: dozens were hurt, rushed to the hospital. broken bones and lacerations. >> it was terrible. seeing people come out with bloody heads and bones sticking out. oh my god. >> you never think the floor is going to come out from underneath you. a really scaring feeling. >> reporter: it happens every summer everywhere from idaho to rhode island to kentucky. >> everything just fell. i was actually holding onto the

latch of the door until -- i'm screaming help, help, call 911, call 911. >> reporter: it's a hazard most of us never even think about. but home inspectors say they see the warning signs all the time. >> i would say 80% of the decks i inspect have safety concerns. >> reporter: so could your deck be in danger, too? >> a crack like this is severe. it should be replaced. >> reporter: an engineer for a deck equipment company, we visited their safety lab in california where ricardo showed us the red flags you can spot on your deck right now. >> the very first thing you want to look at is where your deck attaches to the house. in this case we only have nails. >> reporter: nails bad. >> that's right. >> reporter: experts say using nails is the leading because of of deck collapses. >> a nail is smooth, pulls out easy. >> reporter: good for hanging pits on your wall but not attaching a deck to your house. >> absolutely.

>> reporter: rotting wood, splintered wood causing problems leading to cracks. ricardo set up a good deck showing the difference using screws and bolts, which are more secure. >> the big difference here is you can see lots of metal. you see bolts. you see screws attaching the deck to the house. this is all good. >> reporter: and that's what you should be looking for underneath your deck. but if all you see are nails, you risk this. >> reporter: wow, that's crazy and so fast. >> it happens in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: this is very much a real scenario. somebody could be sitting in these chairs, grilling. >> not only on top of the deck but underneath the deck. they probably would have been killed. >> reporter: in these accidents, people don't usually die but the injuries are very serious. by the way, deck railings can be just as dangerous. every summer people end up in the hospital falling over. so if your railing is wobbly,

you can feel it, that's another problem. experts say check your deck once a year, that's all it takes. get under there and check the bolts and screws. matt, they say it takes five minutes tops, that's it. >> a lot of people will check today. if they spot a problem, can they fix it themselves or call a professional. >> unless they are bob villa. call a home professional to tell you what should be done. it's an easy and inexpensive fix and could save your family's life. >> thank you for the information. 7:46. five friends who have taken the exact same photos together over the last 30 years. we're going to meet them and find out what it says about the passage of time and their friendship. a little later, can i be like mike in this iconic photo of basketball legend michael jordan. we'll show you the results but first these messages. >> i don't think you need the harnessing wire.

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and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against and help stop further joint damage with humira. back at 7:49 with a story of friendship amid troubling news. a friendship that stands the test of time. >> the pictures to prove it. it started with teenagers at a cabin at copco lake in 1982. they made a pact to take the same shot every five years. as you can see, they have kept that promise. here is john wardlaw, john

molony and john dickson, good morning to you. how does it feel to be an internet sensation. are you surprised at the reaction this has had, john? >> we're a bit stunned. it's a bit surreal. >> back in 1982 when you took the first picture, you had no intention of creating a tradition. >> no. >> not at all. >> so when you look back at that very first picture, five high school friends, what do you guys think when you see it. >> oh my god, that's a dorky picture. >> i see you guys dropped the shirtless thing in the early '90s. >> that's a must as you get older. >> i mentioned five friends. take me back to high school. what group were you in? were you the jocks, the cool kids? >> the nerds. >> we were do our own thing kind of guys, made movies. >> computer geeks. >> did great movies on weekends. >> we did our own thing. made movies programmed on the first pcs out there. >> computers had just started

coming out. just normal high school students really. >> wedge, can i call you wedge, you were kind of the keeper of this tradition, right? you're the guy that gets these guys together every five years. >> john took the first one, j.d. took the first one. five years later when we were all there i said, hey, we're all here again. let's take the photo again. we started the five year tradition. >> as you look at the passage of time through these photos, who changed the most? >> mark. >> who is the most like the picture in 1982. >> people say dallas. >> why dallas? >> no gray hair. >> still has his hair. >> i don't know. i've looked exactly the same since i was a child. >> it's interesting because it tells the story of friendship. of course, you have changed. not just physically but you've changed inside, too. i'm sure there have been disagreements over the years. but somehow you've risen above it.

dallas. >> like any group of people, when you're really close and you go through life, you're kind of interests changed and that sort of thing. sometimes we get irritated with each other. especially the first year we spent a month at that cabin fishing, doing all sorts of stuff. we got on each other's nerves. nobody talked to each other for half an hour, really like two months, three months. >> i think it's emotional to look at. when is the next one to be taken. >> 2017. >> raise your hand if you'll be there. >> oh yeah. >> you were a little slow there. >> "today" show curse, it's over. >> guys, thanks so much. great to see the picture. still ahead we've got nicki minaj live in concert after your local news.

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>> it is 7:56. i'm jon kelley. the new span of the bay bridge will be the focus of a meeting in sacramento. the transportation and housing committee hearing from experts over recent reports of falsified safety tests on several spans including the new bay bridge, the "sacramento bee" has been reporting caltrans intentionally modified test data on the span. caltrans blasting that article and says the bay bridge is in fact safe. now let's say good morning to meteorologist christina loren who is here with our tuesday forecast. hi. >> good morning, jon kelley. starting with a live look over san jose. a little hazy but the sun is shining over most of your inland cities. temperatures are close to 70 degrees in livermore and concourt. 63 in san jose. 50s along the coast. that's the place to be today if

you don't have an air conditioner as temperatures will soar to the triple digits again inland. santa cruz, 79 degrees today. comfortable conditions. over the bay and at the coast. 90 or los gatos. cooler today than it was yesterday. more so as we head into tomorrow. here's mike and the drive. >> east bay folks, we've got a problem on the east shore freeway. the off ramp one lane is blocked. that's in your commute direction so it's jammed out of pinole and hercules down to san pablo dam. 880 heavier than typical, slowing for 880 in orange and red, red in the 20s at times. the greater area looking all right as far as the build. 280, 880 showing that change. northbound 17 at glenn wood drive an accident blocking a lane. big backups into the area. >> thank you very much. for the latest make sure to check us out on facebook. your nei

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8:00 now on this tuesday morning august 14th, 2012. our crowd is particularly fired up this morning. there's good reason for it. nicki minaj is here for a live concert on the plaza in the next half hour. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. coming up, a day in history. >> we recreated the iconic beatles album cover, had a lot of fun stopping traffic in london to do it. i decided to create a michael jordan slam dunk. so can i be like mike or do i fall flat on my face?

we'll find out the results and even hear what jordan has to say about it. >> speaking of jordan, we have another jordan in the house. jordin sparks. she now has her first movie role, co-starred with whitney houston. we'll talk with jordan about working with whitney houston and other projects on the horizon. >> we know olympic gold but what about the fierce five ability to forecast? they are going to help me with the weather in just a little bit. and then later on, hope solo will be joining us. we have a gold filled day. >> let's go inside. we have a lot to get to. natalie has the headlines. good morning again. >> good morning. more homes are threatened by a growing wildfire that has burned at least 40 buildings in central washington state. officials say the fire has scorched more than 24 square miles since it started monday. they are urging residents in the fire's path to evacuate. wildfires are also burning in oregon and idaho where a

firefighter was killed sunday when a tree fell on her. french police say at least 16 officers were injured overnight during rioting in northern france. officials say dozens of young men pulled drivers from their cars and set fire to a school. the violence ended after federal reinforcements arrived. republicans have chosen new jersey governor chris chr christie to deliver the keynote address at the republican national convention later this month. meantime mitt romney is making three stops today in the critical state of ohio focusing on energy issues. president obama is spending a second day in iowa where on monday he promised relief for drought stricken farmers. nbc's coverage of the london olympic games was the most watched event in american television history. nbc says the games drew more than 219 million viewers. that's pretty impressive. now here is brian williams with a look at what's coming up on "nbc nightly news." natalie, welcome back.

coming up tonight on "nightly news," clean water for kids a world away. that's all rachel wanted for her birthday. now how a 9-year-old's dream inspired millions of people to make a difference. we'll have that great story tonight on "nightly news." for now, natalie, back to you. >> thanks, brian. and now a quick roundup of what has you talking online. kristen chenoweth announced she's not returning to "the good wife" because she is still recovering from being hurt on set by a piece of wind blown equipment. the actress tweeted that she loves "the good wife" and will be back when she can. real estate maiden taylor swift paid nearly $5 million for a cape cod beach house to be closer to 18-year-old taylor kennedy. the son of robert f. kennedy jr. the spread is just a stroll away from conner's grandmother and the legendary kennedy compound. some new naughty entries added to the webster dictionary,

along with innocent man cave and "bucket list," also more risque terms like sexting and f-bomb. it's 8:04 right now. back outside to matt and savannah. >> now over to mr. roker and some of his special friends. >> that's right. it's the fierce five, help me with the fierce five-day forecast. are you ready to do a little forecasting for your hometown? >> yes. >> gabby, why don't you start it off. >> i believe the current weather in virginia is partly sunny and warm. high of 86. >> very good. that's right. virginia beach. >> all right, mikayla? >> can i have the mike? >> you have the mike but take mine. >> laguna niguel, a bit foggy but don't worry the sun will come out and it's going to be a beautiful day. make the best of it. >> wow, all right. next. >> i'm aly raisman, today a high of 89 and partly sunny. go outside, go to the beach and

get a tan. >> another california girl. >> good morning, alisa viejo, you might need your sunglasses. we're going to be warm, sunny and breezy with a high of 89. >> very nice. and last but not least, jordyn wieber. >> dewitt, michigan, early showers, grab umbrellas but later on partly sunny skies and a high of 76. >> very good. there you go. fierce five-day forecast. you guys were terrific. gabby you broke out the sunglasses. that's what going on around the country, here is what's happening in your well, you heard it from the two california girls it is going to be hot in so cal today, not quite as holt up here. we're still expecting triple digits inland, this fog we're seeing on the golden gate bridge is going to keep your coastal cities and bayside cities really comfortable for today. this is san jose, a lot of sun blazing in early means a hot day ahead. 89 degrees, 90 in los gatos, triple digits in livermore and

fairfield. tomorrow, we take your temperatures down by 5 to 10 degrees, even cooler for the weekend, maybe a few showers on saturday. >> you guys enjoy your forecasting ability? weather channel is ready. they are on the phone for you. now, to savannah. >> i give them a 15.9999. al, thanks. coming up next, "today" in history. we'll find out if matt can create the unforgotable image of michael jordan right after this. parents this year i'm going to teach your kids that magic does exist. it's called science! here's what they'll need. ♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪ ♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪ ♪ markers, calculators. whoa! ♪ ♪ converse one start tennies ♪ well, pencils, hair gel, binders. ♪ ♪ pencils, hair gel, binders. announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all.

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back now at 8:09 with more of our special series, "today" in history, where we try to recreate some of the most iconic photos ever taken. >> monday we took a famous walk across abbey road. i was sir paul down to the bare feet. luckily today i get to wear shoes but they are some huge shoes to fill.

>> we always knew there was going to be something good. >> you sat on the edge of your seat just expecting him to make your jaw drop. >> every night when i came to the ring, it wasn't just a game. >> jordan. >> jordan. >> jordan. >> i knew i was witnessing history. >> as the team photographer for the chicago bulls, bill had the high-stakes job of freezing history every night, every heart stopping slam-dunk, alley-oop, buzzer beater. >> i'd miss a shot, see it on the replay and be depressed for days. >> smith rarely had to worry about that because so many of his images became seared in our collective images. views as iconic as this. >> well, they are on their feet here in chicago stadium.

>> but to land that perfect shot, both guys needed to bring their a game, which they did to perfection during the 1988 nba slam-dunk contest. >> this is one of the epic slam-dunk contests of all time. michael jordan versus the human highlight film, wilkins. it came down to the final attempt. >> michael jordan needs a 49 to win. >> i had a chance to win. i wanted to do something special. >> now he's going to the baseline. >> the energy was unbelievable. >> here he came down the length of the court and he just took off at the foul line. >> he flew through the air like a bird through the rim and put it down. chicago stadium went berzerk. >> the crowd let's you know what they think about it.

>> i prayed -- i think i literally prayed that i had the shot. >> this was back before the instant gratification of digital cameras. and smith remembers camping out at the lab until his film was developed. >> you're nervous and your hand is shaking and you have your loop. then you see it. but is it in focus. when it was in focus, i just thought thank god, thank god, thank god, thank god. >> when you watched michael jordan and you watched his aerial act, it seems as if he would never come down. in this picture, it's the dream come true. it's jordan defying gravity. it is air jordan. >> i cannot say one picture illustrated my whole career but that would be very close. ♪ >> any kid who picked up a basketball in the last quarter of a century wanted to be like mike, plus there were plenty of big kids like me who secretly

shared the dream. so i agreed to try whatever it takes to be like mike. bill smith agrees to try to get me there. >> we might have to have a few bales of wire and some rigors on handed and our photo shot skills in post production. >> some soft landing spot. >> this is our second intern. >> number two. >> intern number one is on the way to the hospital. >> i dealey if we had a thin wire to hold each leg in position. what do you think? >> hi, guys. how are you? >> we're good. how are you? >> i feel great now. am i going to feel great in a couple of hours? how hard is this going to be? >> it's going to be hard. >> cut. take two. no, it's not going to be that hard. >> it's proven a little more difficult than we thought. >> actually accomplishing faking it is not going to be that easy.

>> it hasn't been with the nbc interns. >> oh it's the nbc interns. bill, come on. you have the real deal here now. let's give it a shot. >> this is the high-tech version of spanx, right? >> you have to get a deep, deep tan and shave off more hair. >> i think i'm committing some kind of basketball sin right now, tarnishing the uniform of michael jordan. i don't think you need the harness anymore. i put this on, i think i can fly. >> let's get me up there. now, bill, speed is of the essence here. right? the longer i hang here, the crankier i get and the more chafed i get. discounting my mad jumping skills bill turns me into a human marionette, suspending me with an elaborate system of harnesses, pulleys and fishing line to manipulate each

appendage. the closer i am to the original position, the easier it will be to remove me from this background and electronically take me back to chicago in 1988. >> raise his left leg higher, bring the ball back. >> right knee down to the floor. >> left leg higher and push your hand up higher. shoulders back, jaw out, intense look. >> i grimace and bear it. holding the excruciating pose, enduring the crew's seemingly endless critique of my misaligned body parts. >> the human body doesn't go in that position. it's almost as if this basketball superhero super version of gumby. he bends and contorts himself in a way that shouldn't be

possible. >> ball back. >> then adding insult to injury, they forget about me. >> he needs to twist toward the camera a little more. >> don't worry about leaving me hanging here, okay? [ laughter ] >> finally -- >> it's a wrap. >> so did all that harness burn pay off? >> wow, that's pretty good. look at that, just one jump. can you make a jump shot. that's what i need to know. >> all right. let's see how we did. by the way, i just want to thank bill smith. he was fantastic to work with. let's take a look at the original iconic photo of michael jordan. there he is in 1988. here is what we created. >> wow -- >> you did it. that is amazing. >> some things aren't exactly right. my feet e in a slightly different position i couldn't get. he propelled himself.

he was a man in motion and we were hanging. >> you can barely tell you're chafing there. you've never been the same since. >> really painful. my apologies to the interns that had to endure it for me. let me thank the broadway show that enjoyed rigging me up a little too much. >> now you're a real boy. >> tomorrow natalie will transform herself into one of the most pivotal stars of early hollywood. we're talking about charlie chaplain. up next former "american idol" jordin sparks and her first movie and what it was like to work with her idol whitney houston. that's right after this. you know what, this looks just like

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[ male announcer ] sometimes, it's hard for james to make up his mind. but corolla was an easy choice. over 80% of all corollas sold in the last 20 years are still on the road today. ♪ it's a choice well made. dang, son! [ male announcer ] another reason you can always count on corolla. from toyota. ♪ back at 8:20. at 17 years old jordin sparks became the youngest winner of "american idol" ever. now five years later she's making her film debut.

she plays in "sparkle" about three sisters with a taste for fame. their mother, played by whitney houston, has higher aspirations for them. >> i knew he would love me and wouldn't torture me with something i want to do, can't help but do. >> you figured that was wrong. >> that i had a gift. >> sparkle, you can have a gift. it's how you use it. >> and jordan joins us now. jordan, good morning to you. >> good morning, how are you? >> jordin sparks, "sparkle." >> i said that the first time. "sparkle" it's got a nice ring to it. it's awesome. i think the stars did align with this film. everybody was in a place where they could really propel the characters. i feel like whitney was also in this place in her life where she could really play a mother like

that. with me, it was my first time, so i couldn't ask for a better experience. >> i wanted to ask you about that your music has gone platinum, done broadway, feature films was the next step. was that a little scary? >> it was nerve-racking for sure. there were times when i felt comfortable. there were times when i was like, i don't know if i'm doing this right. the whole cast were so amazing. maybe you should try this or try that. how can i help you? they were so open and warm and i wasn't expecting that. >> you had to audition for that role? >> i did. >> what was worse, auditions or "american idol." >> both nerve-racking. after getting to know simon a little bit, he actually is a softy. auditioning was different because i didn't have a microphone in my hand. then i'm good. you go in and try to relay the character everybody was thinking, it was a challenge for sure. >> as for all of that, you were playing across someone you grew

up idolizing, whitney houston. >> yes. >> what was it like to share the stage with her. >> it was incredible. taking out the acting side, as a sirng i grew up listening to her music and idolizing her. that was intimidating but really fun. she made it so comfortable. she's always delivered in her on screen performances. for me i was like what can i learn. i was a sponge soaking up everything she was doing, nuances, how she would change things. she was the consummate professional. she was spot on. as soon as they yelled action she was emma, that character, it was amazing to be across from her. this is whitney. is she really mad at me right now? she was so great at it. >> you experienced this movie together. i'm sure you formed a friendship. >> yeah. >> then to lose her. i'm sure you took it hard. >> i did. i only got to know her two months. it was an intense two months. you spend that much time with somebody, you do get close.

i was devastated, shell shocked rather. for me to feel that way, i can't imagine how her family and people who have known her for years felt. i was so completely devastated that they must be still reeling from it. it still comes in waves. at the same time, this movie, what better gift for her to leave for all of her fans and everybody than this amazing performance she does. >> you do a song together on the soundtrack. >> yes. >> in some ways you're tied to her forever because you did this last song with her. >> i am. her legacy and my story are forever intertwined. if i think about that too much i get overwhelmed. i can't believe this is happening. but to do a song with her was one of those things, yeah, that will never happen. here it is. i hear it on the radio. i get chills every time it comes on. it's definitely been a huge blessing for me and everybody in the cast as well. >> you have so much to smile about. this film, we see you on the

cover of red book, shape magazine. there's much less of you to love. you lost 50 pounds. everyone wants to know how you did that? >> there's no secret. i changed my mind-set. i got really sick right after broadway. i was like, you know what, i'm not going to take my health for granted anymore. this changes right here, right now. i was evaluating what i was eating and when. i love food. i was eating because it tasted good. i re-evaluated that. i think now i definitely listen to my body first. then baby steps because i was so fatigued with what i was sick with. just doing baby steps, getting more physical activity. eventually i found a trainer and trying to keep it up. it's a day by day thing. it's been a year and a half and i feel good. >> the results speak for themselves. >> thank you. >> "sparkle" opens in theaters this friday. still ahead a concert from nicki minaj after your local news.

good tuesday morning. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning shell says it is look into the cause of yesterday's fire in its refinery in martinez. a large plume of smoke was visible at about 2:00 in the afternoon. it was out 15 minutes later, no one was hurt and no shelter in place was ordered. the bay area air quality management district says it is keeping close tabs on the five refineries operating in contra costa county. the five in richmond, rodeo, venet venetia, and martinez. got more than five roads around this bay area. want to check the morning commute with mike. we're focusing on the area because of the earlier accident westbound 80, san pablo road. chp says it's off of the roadway

but still tremendous slowing off of highway 4, hercules and rodeo over towards that area because of this accident on the shoulder now, and that's causing slowdown toward richmond and clearing by the time you get to berkeley. a smoother drive southbound 880 but still slow from hayward into fremont and continuing with that northbound route for northbound 101 and northbound 17. look at that. northbound we have two accidents now, one at glenwood and another in the backup. back to you. >> something to watch. thank you, mike. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook. okay, here's the plan.

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8:30 on tuesday morning, it's the 14th day of august, 2012. we hope our crowd is in the mood to dance because we've got nicki minaj in concert on the stage in just a couple minutes. meanwhile out on the plaza i'm

matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. >> tomorrow carrie underwood will be here, on thursday lionel richie will be here and on friday, the much anticipated reunion of al's favorite band 98 degrees. >> the u.s. women's soccer team hope solo helped lead her team to gold in london. in her new memoir, she says she doesn't believe in happy endings. she'll explain why in a live interview. >> first we want to say hello once again to five young ladies who also left london with gold medals, u.s. women's gymnastics team, mikayla, gabby -- >> notice the gymnastics team with three aspiring gymnasts. hi, ladies, i hear you have questions for the gymnast. lulu, you want to go first.

>> congratulations on your olympic gold medal. >> thank you. >> are you ready to give up your training to do other things that other teenagers do, like going to the mall, watching movies and eating ice cream and hanging out? >> it's a multi-part question. >> yeah, we like fashion and hanging out at the mall and movies. the next stop for us we're going to do the tour of champs. i'm very excited to do that. yeah, we're just regular teenagers. we like to talk about boys and shoes. >> okay. ellie, you've got the next question. >> [ inaudible ] >> thinking about rio? who is looking ahead? >> i think we're sort of taking the next few years one day at a time. definitely going to keep going, but work towards other things.

>> i'll have to rescue you. thinking about rio? >> possibly. i'm definitely thinking about rio. it's in the back of our minds. we're excited. >> yeah, definitely. >> maria, you get the last question. >> so many opportunities -- [ inaudible ] >> what advice? who wants to share advice? >> i'll share advice. >> it takes a lot of time, a lot of hard work and dedication, so make sure you always work hard, stay in the gym. >> good advice. >> good questions, ladies. >> girls, that you so much. your faces. your parents are proud of you. >> mr. roker. >> also the sparkly glasses. >> we like that. that's cool. >> try them on. >> that's what

julie [ no audio ] don't forget, you can get that weather any time you need it. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com. >> mr. roker, thank you so much. when we come back hope solo, gold medal winner for the u.s. women's soccer team talks about her life on the field and struggles

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braef back now at 8:36, one of

of the heroes of the u.s. soccer team in london. hope solo made several saves to help the u.s. beat japan and win their third straight gold medal. now she's out with a new biography called "solo, a memoir of hope." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> are you still on cloud nine about this medal. >> i don't know what time zone i'm in. >> you wrote this memoir. it's really personal. i was looking through it. i think a lot of it was painful. was it painful to write. >> the process of writing the book wasn't easy. it felt like i was going through counsel sessions when i sat down with my writer. i'm proud of it, i'm happy. it was a good process to go through. >> you're known for your outspokenness and competitiveness. in the prologue you write, i don't believe in happy endings, my family doesn't do happy endings, we do sad or frustrating or no ending at all. in a way it feels lying an explanation.

do you want the world to understand you. >> i sit here with you wearing a gold medal. i do believe in happiness. i do believe in life's moments. not everything is going to be perfect. i think i have a really outlook on that. i know that life isn't always easy and i accept that. i think it enables me to live life to the fullest. i'm proud of that. i believe in happy moments, i just don't think it's all going to be perfect. >> your father is a key figure in the book and your life and in many ways a tragic figure, somebody who was in and out of jail, in and out of your life. i know there was a point at which he kidnapped you and your brother. but you also adored him and that really comes through. do you think it's hard for people to understand how you can reconcile those two things. >> i hope after they read the book it's not hard for people to understand it, because the book is about love. people try to interpret my life. they tell me i'm outspoken. you know, a lot of people see me in a specific way but nobody really knows me or understands

me or where i've come from. my father was all about love. it didn't matter if you live on the streets. he lived life to the fullest. i'm happy. it's made me everything that i am. i accept that and appreciate it. i think i have more life experience than a lot of people. >> in another section you write, i was a teenager, i was self-conscious. i was embarrass thad my father was homeless, my mother was a drunk, that my brother was in constant trouble with the police. do you ever just sit back and marvel you got out. do you think soccer saved me? >> soccer saved me absolutely but my family's strength saved me as well. my mother had her own personal struggles, my father as well, but they gave me the strength i needed to get through life and be a fighter and accept everything i am. i might have embarrassed when i was young and 17 and in college, but it's because i didn't know who i was. i'm 31 years old now and i can stand up and be proud of

everything my family has given me and everything i am. >> one thing your father gave you was soccer. he was your first soccer coach. did you ever think i want to be a goalie? that's first. >> nobody wants to be the goalie, you're a hero or goat. you watch the olympics, i didn't do much in six games. finally in the final i was asked to perform. >> in 2007, i have to remeend you, you stirred up controversy when your then coach didn't let you play in the semifinal game against brazil. the team went on to lose. you didn't hold your tongue. it was controversial. the team ostracized you. >> you asked me this in london, if i had any regrets about that. no, i am who i am. im proud of that. i do believe in '07 i would have

made the save. i'm confident who i am as a person and as a player. no, i would have made a difference on the field. that's the competitor in me. people get angry about that. i want to win for our country. how are you going to get mad at me for saying, put me on the field. i'll make a difference. >> do you see controversy as a bit of a -- >> do i like drama? hey, did you see our win against canada. i think the u.s. team likes drama. >> you have obviously had a lot of fun. i remember has you said you were a little three sheets to the wind along with your teammates. was that really true back in 2008. >> the press gets crazy. yeah, i've had some fun, of course. i can celebrate, right? >> is that your phone ringing right now? >> not mine. >> somebody's alarm is going off. >> it is. time to wake up. >> one thing i read about you, when you had the gold medal from 2008, you wore it and wore it and wore it until the ribbon

frayed. is that your plan for this gold medal. >> snow. i'm proud of this. i don't want this one to fray. i'm going to put this up in my trophy room. i'm just happy. i don't know if i'm going to play in another olympics. i don't know if i can make it another four years. this could be it. this is the staple, the stamp for my character. it's been hard. there's been a lot of ups and downs. i'm so happy. i put everything into this game and sport. soccer has come a long way from back in 1999 when the u.s. team won their first world cup, only world cup, we've come a long way. i feel like my team and the current players have done a lot for the game. >> you certainly have. you're part of that progress. hope solo, thank you so much for your time this morning. the book is called "solo, a memoir of hope." coming up next nicki minaj live in concert. first this is "today" on nbc. " memoir of hope." coming up next

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our concert crowd started lining up more than 24 hours ago. let's not keep them waiting any longer. ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. started lining up more than 24 hours ago. let's not keep them waiting any longer. ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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[ cheers and applause ] >> more in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ nicki minaj was an underground rap artist, now very much aboveground tornado warning out hit after hit, teaming up

with some of the biggest names in the business. her new album, pink reloaded. nice to have you back again. >> thank you for having me. >> i know you craft your image very carefully and you control a lot of it. what are we seeing today? >> in terms of the performances? >> yes. >> this is -- i'm going to do something a little more gritty. for my gritty in the audience. >> last time you were here, you were nicki minaj. you were talking nicki. people like romans and barbies, any of them present today? >> roman will come out. >> barbie is not here today? >> no. >> no. okay. i mentioned you've got a lot going on. not only musically but fragrance, fashion. how hands on are you?

>> very hands on. my fragrance, a thousand times per picture, the commercial layout. everything. the fragrance will be out in september. i'm so excited for it. i think in a couple days we're actually going to show them a model. i'm hands on with everything. >> you don't want to sit back and let someone else control your future. >> that's not my thing. >> i know you just finished up an int ♪

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♪ ♪ >> nicky minaj will be back with another song in a little while. first on a tuesday morning, this is your news and weather.

good tuesday morning to you. 8:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. emergency response teams from across the bay area are gathering in san francisco this morning to prepare for the big one. the agencies want to test their coordination and cooperation among local, regional, state and federal emergency workers 72 hours after a catastrophic earthquake. main roads for travel, testing communications and saving lives. the exercise is part of a fleet

week drill, something we should all be prepared for, as well as the heat. let's check the forecast with christina. last day of triple digits, laura. that's the good news if you have been suffering from the heat. 84 degrees bayside today, 75 at the coast. we'll cool off more as we head through tomorrow. [ mom ] dear chex cereal,

i've never written a fan letter before, but you've done the impossible. you made gluten free cereals in a whole bunch of yummy flavors. cinnamon chex and honey nut chex are two of our favorites. when my husband found the chocolate one, we were in cereal heaven. the only problem is, with so many great flavors, you're making it very hard to choose. your fans, the mcgregor family. 'cause we love chex. ♪ [ male announcer ] and now try new gluten free apple cinnamon chex.

♪ ♪ nicki minaj, back with more of "today" on the 14th of august, 2012. nicki, thank you so much. come back and see us, okay? nicki minaj ladies and gentlemen! here on the plaza, matt lauer

with savannah guthrie and al roker. good show for this tuesday morning. earn their keep. exactly. coming up in this half hour, some questions about diet, for example, do you get a spoonful of vinegar day that helps you lose weight? and scented jewelry. it is a way to pamper yourself. beauty products. and a blast from the past, cindy brady from the brady bunch. susan olson has a new role, animal activist. we will talk to her about that. let's go inside to natalie with the headlines. >> raging wildfires are burning out west, burning 40 buildings so far in central washington state. officials say the fire scorched

more than 24 square miles since it started monday. they urge residents in the fire's path to evacuate. cause of the fire is unknown. more blaze ds in oregon, and idaho. a firefighter was killed sunday when a tree fell on her. the new york port authority is calling for investigation into how a man was able to bypass jfk airport's $100 million security system soaking wet, wearing a bright yellow life jacket. officials say he ran out of fuel jet skiing in jamaica bay, swam ashore, climbed a barbed wire fence, across two runways into a terminal where he asked for help. he got past motion detectors and cameras without alarms. increased patrols are monitoring the perimeter and surrounding waterways. he now faces criminal trespass

charges. a shooting monday near a sh left three people dead. a bystander and a police officer was serving an evection on a man who opened fire. a man was killed in a shootout with a s.w.a.t. team. new fallout from the sex abuse scandal at state. they were on notice that the status is in jeopardy. they want a detailed report on what they're doing to meet leadership and integrity standards and they can meet the financial obligations with the scandal. >> the trail grazing magazine editor helen girlie brown who wrote sex and the single girl died. she was guided by her motto good girls go to heaven, bad girls go

everywhere. that he was married to the same man, david brown, for more than 50 years. swimming champ michael phelps might be the most decorated olympian of all time, but he is not hanging up his speedo yet. he is posing in a bathtub and features him having tea with the most decorated olympian of all time until phelps shattered her record this year. when in detroit, you better show love for eminem. guess who decided to rap a few verses of lose yourself. note note ♪ ♪

>> can't quite figure who it is? it's clely clarkson and it uncovers one of kelly's girl power anthems. let's go to al with a check of the weather. >> i came inside now, but let's see what we got. a risk of strong storms from bingham and lancaster and sales bury, maryland. on the radar, seeing storms firing up. a lot of heavy rain in eastern pennsylvania getting ready to cross the border into jersey. rainfall amounts generally about a half inch to an inch. some areas may pick up to another hot day inland but comfortable conditions at the coast because we did have a deeper marine layer this morning than yesterday. this is all that's left of it, though, for now over the bay bridge. glassy conditions on the water, not a whole lot of wind today.

tomorrow that changes and we're already completely clear here in san jose. so for today, kind of stagnant air mass overhead, but nonetheless, we near the good to moderate range when it comes to air quality. highs hot inland, 100 degrees in livermore, but we cool off to the mid-90s as of tomorrow. >> . this morning, joy's diet sos, answers to your diet dilemmas. far-fetched claims. what works and what doesn't. good morning. >> the diet olympics. >> we go for the gold. coming from michelle from mora, minnesota. what's your question? >> hi, joy. i heard a lot of hype about raspberry tea tones enhancing weight loss. do they help you lose weight? >> i have been hearing about this a lot. i can't rule it out, but today

there is no clinical research to show any proven benefits. it's one of the compounds that naturally occurs in raspberries that give them that fabulous aroma. a few studies in mice and in test tubes that with very, very high amounts it shows some weight loss activity, but the big thing to know is that we have no studies on humans so we don't know if it translates with people and the amount of key tones in raspberries is trace amounts. they are pumping high concentrated doses into these supplements. to me, i feel like we don't even know if it works in humans and also if there worrisome side effects. i don't think you should be a guinea pig before we know more. >> or at least a mouse. now we go to alyssa who is calling in from osh kosh, wisconsin. good morning. what's your question?

>> i heard apple cider vinegar helps curb your appetite. if so, how much do you need and what time of day should i consume it? >> this is pretty darn cool. vinegar in general, doesn't have to be apple cider vinegar might have fat-fighting capabilities. if you consume two teaspoons to two tablespoons with your meals at the beginning or with your meal, it helps to rise your blood sugar that occurs after eating. in terms of weight loss, people are reporting they feel fuller after they consume vinegar with meals. if you feel fuller, eat less food and probably lose weight. i say go for it. you don't have to drink it straight. >> would it count if you put balsamic vinegar? >> yes. all you need to do is start your

meal with a vegetable first course. it could be a salad or a sliced cucumber or tomato. a dash of the vinegar and cucumber. the vegetables are high volume and filled with fiber. maybe the vinegar will work too. give it a shot. >> we have an e-mail that came in. allison writing are the claims that green coffee bean extract can increase weight loss true? i'm thinking about trying the powder and i want to make sure it's not just a diet fad. >> i hate not being able to give a definitive. the thing with the green coffee bean extract is it has chlorogenic acid. you don't get it with regular coffee because the roasting process burns off the compound. there small studies and short studies, but there was some

weight loss activity. i think it's one of the things, be on the look out and stay tuned. let's wait until we have more rigorous testing. you don't top the find out there side effects. we'll see. it's never going to replace diet and exercise. >> another e-mail from robin in niagara falls. she writes i heard drinking a cup of ice water ten minutes before a meal helps to you feel full so you will eat less later because all it is makes me pee. you are by niagara falls! >> it works. it works. it definitely works. >> does it have to be iced water? >> it could be hot or lukewarm water. if you have a zero calorie beverage at the beginning of a meal, it fills up belly space so you end up eating less with the main meal. it might be working because you don't have a reference range.

going to the bathroom hydrates you. it's all good. >> it's all good. does scotch and water count? >> it does. >> thank you so much. coming up next, unique body products with a twist. we will catch up with a former brady buncher who found her calling. messages. and we're going to catch up with a former brady buncher who found her calling. first these messages. [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's durable and scrubbable. in this lab demo, bounty basic is stronger than the leading bargain brand. everyday life. bring it with bounty basic. affordably priced. tested by everyday life. and try bounty napkins.

♪ look out baby 'cause here i come ♪ ♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready ♪ [ female announcer ] lunchables packs the foods they love, so they make the most of every day. and now, try lunchables with smoothie. an[ female announcer ]s windex multi-surface uh oh!! lets you keep up with messes right when they happen. so you can put that windex shine -- on just about anything. get windex multi-surface and keep up. sc johnson, a family company. it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way, right?

lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions

like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. go to cymbalta.com this morning on "today's" beauty, fun and sducts with a twist. a contributing style editor from "lucky" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> these are cool items but things you say work. >> exactly.

let's talk about nails first. as you know, you were at the olympics. nail art is huge. >> huge. >> everyone is doing it. this is a really fun way to do it at home. it's $25. i don't know if you guys can see that at home. i had it yesterday. >> like little balls. >> it's 3d nail art. they come in a multitude of colors. i know it looks very difficult but it's actually remarkably simple and dries quicker. >> you put on the polish first, then a funnel with the balls. >> that's to help clean up. >> put them on and press them in. >> put a top coat on the tip of your nail, not the whole nail. >> don't last that long. >> a few days. >> special event perfect. >> this is truly magic. >> a magic gloss. >> from givenchy.

this works. if i can talk and do it at the same time. it makes your lips the perfect color of pink. you never have to worry whether that color looks good on you, $30, sephora. >> a made for you color. this is a fragrance from lady gaga. >> the first time. >> black. >> black liquid inside. the ultimate. you can see i'm spraying on the towel, comes out completely clear. >> what does it smell like? >> smells like floral with a little spice there, saffron and honey and bella donna, a poison. it's very gagaesque but beautiful. >> a goth bottle. >> super cool to have on your nightstand. >> another requested for fragrance. >> i love this. get ready to blow some bubbles here. these are perfume bubbles, $20 at bergdorf. from a world renowned perfumer. i'm not very good at blowing

bubbles. >> they pop and give a scent. >> they come in a simple scent, fun to play with. great for a little girl. >> i love this idea for people who are sensitive to fragrance or can't wait wear it on their skin, a great way to get the fragrance. >> ecofriendly. available on hsn.com. from lisa hoffman, whose name you may recognize, she's dustin hoffman's wife. they are beads of perfume in bracelets. you have bracelets, earrings, necklaces. you can see the chamber. can you pop in whichever fragrance. there are all -- a whole wardrobe of fragrances, mix and match. if you're wearing something in the morning. switch out your bracelet and later you can smell sultry. >> i love it, multi-functional,

gorgeous jewelry with a fragrance. highlighting is a big trend with vivid, bright colors. if you don't want to do it permanently, this is a great solution. >> try before you buy. you know how much highlighting your hair can cost. for $30 you get 20 applications. put it in your hair, a mousse. do it on dry hair. you get that color. i have a baby, i don't have time to get my hair highlighted. it reinvigorates what you have. >> i love the look of this. a hair drier with a hand on it. >> a claw. girls with curly hair when they blow dry tends to get frizzy and loses that shine. this is from a salon in new york known for giving girls with curls great style. it has 360 degree heat. you're not just getting a straight shot of hot air on the top of your head, which is already dehydrated. >> a massage while you're at it.

>> super gentle, really gives those curls bounce and a lot of shine. >> last but not least, puffy eyes, forget tea bags and cucumbers. >> i'm going to donate these to the "today" show. >> what is it? >> all it is, it gets rid of tired eyes. roll it on -- really cold. doesn't it feel good. >> yes. >> boosts collagen production. these are $60 from christina's skin care. >> it's sweating because it's so cold. this is a great alternative for cucumbers and tea bags. this is a great way to get some inner vigor back into your face. >> we like it. >> it lasts for a really long time. >> good stuff. really fun things. thank you. >> thank you. >> coming up next, new addition to webster's dictionary. how many do you use? later tracking great white sharks to our very own shores

but first these messages. dictio. how many do you use? later tracking great white sharks to our very own shores but first these messages. . [ bridesmaid ] blacked out... but i'm a bridesmaid. oh! "x" marks the spot she'll never sit. but i bought a dress! a toast... ...to the capital one venture card. fly any airline, any flight, anytime. double miles you can actually use. what a coincidence? what's in your wallet? [ all screaming ] watch the elbows ladies.

but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com.

sure, bisquick makes delicious pancakes, but that's just the start. unleash the hidden power of bisquick. see what you can make at bisquick.com. unleash the hidden power of bisquick. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments.

>> well, game changer -- new words added to new miriam webster collegiate dictionary. maybe we can use these in a sentence. >> we frequently suffer from brain cramps. we're familiar. >> man cave is on there. >> actually i was kind of surprised man cave wasn't on until now. >> that's been around a while. >> gastropub. >> basically a pub with good food. >> we won the 400 meter gastropub. >> gassed which means you're tired. we know what that's all about.

>> if you're gassed you get an energy drink. >> i like this one, obesogenic, a food that makes you fat. >> underwater, like underwater on your mortgage. >> tipping point, i like that's in there. >> that's interesting. >> i love this. flexatarian. a vegetarian but sometimes eat meat. >> f-bomb. >> now x rated. >> still to come cindy brady from the brady bunch, find out what she's up to. >> nicki minaj after your local news and weather. from the brady bunch, find out what she's up to. >> nicki minaj after your local news and weather. >> .

>> . olive garden's never ending pasta bowl is back! never ending combinations of pasta and sauce like our new chianti three meat for just $9.95. and now add never ending sausage, chicken, and yep even meatballs for just $2.95 more. and of course all the crisp salad or homemade soup and warm breadsticks are on us. the pasta never ends but the offer does. the never ending pasta bowl for a limited time only at olive garden. now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong. ♪ spread a little love my way ♪ ♪ spread a little something to remember ♪ [ female announcer ] fresh milk and real cream makes philadelphia and the moment

a little richer. good morning to you. 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. pg&e is warning some bay area residents not to be alarmed by the smell of gas this morning. the utility will be performing a controlled release in south san francisco at hillside boulevard and holly avenue near el ma ka meno. it's taking place between 7:00 this morning and 7:00 tonight. get ready for another scorcher, a flex alert in place for the second time this week. you're being asked to conserve power to avoid outages, that means overens, clothes dryers and other appliances and lipt your use of lights and air conditioning. the alert is in effect today between 11:00 this morning and 6:00 tonight.

9:27. welcome back. the marine layer is gone and temperatures are going to be a little cooler today because we had a more significant formation of that marine layer. however, it's still going to be a scorcher in the extreme east bay where we're in the mid-70s in some cities, 72 in concord, 27 in livermore, 66 in san jose and sunnyvale in the 70s already as well. if you don't have an air conditioner, happy to point out we near the good to moderate range when it comes to air quality across the bay area. this will continue to improve for the stronger onshore flow tomorrow, a full deck of clouds inland. today we didn't have that marine influence so temperatures will soar to 100 degrees in livermore, 101 in fairfield and 101 in gilroy. but look at the drop-off, even some rain in the forecast as we head into the upcoming weekend. 9:28. let's check your drive with mike. we have a lot of folks on the roadway in san mateo. no big surprise, slows south to the san jose bridge.

here, eastbound away from us over the high-rise, reports of a stall somewhere along that section. but i've been tracking it, haven't seen anything major going on heading over to the east bay. note, there may be an issue just on the eastern side of that high-rise, though. we're looking towards the peninsula southbound 101 away from that san mateo bridge, an easy drive down the peninsula. to the maps, we'll show you fremont, slow south, 88 to, down to the south bay where the northbound routes traditional spots north to the airport. thank you for joining us as well.

♪ >> that is carrie underwood performing one of her hit songs. just to let you know tomorrow on "today," the country music star will take center stage in part of the summer series, a special week long event. today isn't over, superstar nicki minaj has one more song coming up. don't forget thursday lionel richie will be here and friday the reunion of the boy band 98 degrees. >> something for everyone this week for sure. >> absolutely. meantime just ahead it's shark week on the discovery channel. we're going to follow the

migratory channels of the great white shark. >> excited. >> i'm not happy about them but i'll watch them on tv. >> can your dog count to ten? does your horseplay a mean basketball? if your pet has a one-of-a-kind talent, we want to see it. >> our quest for the best pet contest. we're on the prowl for the most gifted animal in america. to submit a video of your critter's savvy skills, go to nbc.com. >> can't just be good looks. three pets will win a trip to new york city and a chance to compete live for the title of "today's" best. the deadline is this thursday so start training fido now. >> might be a little late. let's see what we've got weather wise starting with "today," a risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic and northeast.

we're also looking at warm weather continuing in the pacific northwest. sizzling weather through the southwest. as we move into tomorrow, look for another risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley, sizzling from southwest to southern texas and southeast. hit or miss showers and thunderstorms still 9:32 now. taking a look at a hazy sky over san jose, but we are still in the moderate air quality range. feel free to open up your windows if you don't have an air conditioner in your home. you'll get a little more natural coolant today along the peninsula and right at the coast. 71 degrees in san francisco. the further east you live, the hotter it will be. 98 degrees in concord today. 101 in fairfield. 100 degrees in livermore. this is the last day of triple-digit heat. as of tomorrow, we drop back to the mid-90s inland. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next, actor to activist, what former brady bunch star cindy olsen is doing right after this. so, you guys grew up together. yes, since third grade...

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this morning, a blast from the past with an actress a lot of us grew up watching. now she's taken on a new role devoting her life to saving wills. our susan rappaport caught up with her. >> are you ready? ♪ it's a story >> that was awful. played the adorable cindy brady. now she's acting on behalf of animals and her performance has saved thousands of cats and kitchens. during the five seasons of "the brady bunch" there was one part of cindy brady's character that was easy for cindy olsen to portray. >> i remember in the show you always seemed to love the

animals. in your opinion, you dependent think "the brady bunch" were good to pets. >> the bradys were awful owners. good for parenting, bad for ownership. >> look what happened when the brady's pet dog tiger escaped. >> obviously he hadn't been neutered, because he knocked up another dog and they had puppies. that's really irresponsible. >> congratulations, tiger. >> the show played tiger's puppies for laughs. in real life the problem of unwanted pets is definitely no laughing matter. especially for kittens. >> your little eyes just opened up. >> that's why susan has devoted so much of her time helping a nonprofit group in los angeles called precious paws. she's a foster parent for kittens, bottle feeding them until they are old enough to be spayed and neutered. >> that's like putting a big band-aid on the cancer. because what really has to

happen is to shut down the population. >> this is where the kittens were found. >> a few days after rescuing the kittens, susan returned to the apartment building where they were born. her mission, to find the kittens' parents. next stop, a veterinarian to get spayed and neutered. >> bye, sweetheart. >> we've heard the downside of child stars as they are older. look at you, and look what you're doing for cats, kittens. pretty incredible. >> i've always thought my strange past was an asset. it's probably what made me stronger. >> you call strange past. you mean being one of "the brady bunch" is strange. >> it's very strange. it's a strange business to be in as a child. we got fame without fortune. >> a little different from today's world. >> we don't make money off the reruns. >> pretty shocking. people assume you do. thinking those kids are living

on easy street. >> they expect me to pay for dinner. >> now susan lends her celebrity name to raise money for precious paws, signing autographs and original works of art. sometimes her brady brothers help out, too. at a recent autograph show, bobby, peter and even cousin oliver, remember him, spent the day signing. >> one, two, three. >> and taking pictures with the fans. >> she refers to herself, you know, glibly as the crazy catlady. then you go to her house and she's very serious about it. >> look. >> while susan has been changing the lives of so many cats, she says the animals have also helped her son michael deal with a challenging childhood. >> my son has asperger's children. empathy is more difficult for aspy's. i thought getting involved with foster children.

>> like training wheels on a bike to get the same level of compassion and care like other humans. >> i was born with ellie may clampett syndrome. >> i can relate. >> i don't expect other people to be as crazy as me. but i think it's really, really rare or even impossible for somebody to not benefit from the companionship of another species, another life form. this is how to wear fur. >> now, thanks so susan's time, money and effort, precious paws is truly making a difference for our fur angels. she's really doing a great job. and happy birthday, susan. happy birthday. >> i love the fact raising awareness helped her own son. >> learn about compassion through caring for the cats. >> great story. thanks so much. coming up next, great white sharks swimming off our shores right after this. is every spoonfuljust how satisg of new light & fit greek? morning donut

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celebrating its 25th anniversary, discovery channel's shark week offers a unique glimpse into the lives of these creatures. follows the migratory patterns of great white sharks. one of places they travel may surprise you. >> just off the california coast, only 30 miles from san francisco's golden gate bridge lie the jagged peaks of the islands. harsh beyond words, this national maureen sanctuary harbors amazing riches. like a watering hole in africa, theres a season when the predators come. five months of every year, a

distinct population of predators prowl sanctuary waters. some of the largest great white sharks in the world. >> the voice of ted danson. taylor, a research scientist with stanford, sal with the monterey bay aquarium. both featured in the episode. gentlemen, good to see you. this is kind of interesting. you guys have been following these shocks. the key to the information, taylor, is tagging them. >> we have a couple different keys to our research. we've been following these sharks for almost 25 years. actually tom johnson, one of -- has been following longer than shark week has been on. the electronic tag allows us to follow where the sharks go and allow us to know when they arrive at the coast. >> sal, you have discovered that sharks travel an awful lot. >> that's right. it's amazing. the electronic tags allow us to track them through the ocean. we discover they are moving along these invisible highways. often to these amazing places we

never thought of. >> seems like every week we're seeing some story in the news about the sharks. the fact is you guys say their numbers are dwindling. >> well, so we've been able to identify each individual -- a number of the individual sharks off of california. so their dorsal fin is like a fingerprint. they are unique. we can tell who's who. we've been able to estimate the population off california. they are somewhere in the range of a couple hundred individuals, 200 adolescent or adult individuals. >> sal, you guys are advocates for sharks. in a sense you feel kind of bad -- >> they get a bad rap. i think everyone is still iraq from "jaws." i heard somebody say a moment ago, every since she was six and a half she saw "jaws" and never got back in the water. that's a narrative we're trying to change. i think our program brings people in connection with sharks in a new ways that's never been done before.

>> with the electronic tags we have allows us to share the information we have with the public. we have a free app that allows us to see what we see, the way we see them. people get to learn when they show up. >> you run into the same sharks year after year. one in particular scar girl. >> scar girl. my belt buckle has a picture. she's unique, has the top of her dorsal fin is gone. she's easy to identify. she's one of those kind of rough-and-tumble sharks. she's got scars and marks all over her. she's a pretty amazing shark to follow. >> you mentioned early tom johnson. >> our team of researchers, we have a team of individuals that does this. tom johnson was photographed 26 years ago and we just picked up on our electronic tags tom johnson last week. he's back. >> how did he get the name tom johnson? >> actually the guy who first photographed him was a bird naturalist.

he was out there news, weather, and traffic islands, saw him and took a picture. we referred to him as the tom johnson shark and eventually earned the name tom johnson. >> you guys have been working together so long. tell me what happened in hawaii when you were trying to retrieve the tag. >> sometimes the tags come off the animal. to get the information, most of the information we have to retrieve that tag. a tag popped off in hawaii, sal and i got to jump in a plane. >> that must be tough. >> it was rough. one of the invisible highways from california to hawaii. they go to hawaii. they do we don't know what yet but we're learning. we get to go out there and hunt down the tags and bring them back with the data intact. >> we can't wait to see this. shark week a big, big draw in my household. we're looking forward to seeing it. thank you so much. new episodes of shark week airing on discovery channel, shark week.

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>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> our crowd has been dancing all morning locke long to the beats of rock star nicki minaj. >> reloaded opened at the top of the list. >> fresh off her international tour, here she is once again singing a special medley just for our crowd. the always popular nicki minaj. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ]

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good morning. it is 9:56 now. i'm marla tellez. cal state says it will begin turning away california residents interested in graduate studies beginning this january. school leaders say budget cuts make it too difficult for the system to afford in-state

residents' heavily discounted education. inste instead, out-of-state students will have preference because they pay more. some professors are upset over this decision, saying excluding california students goes against the mission of the university. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. good morning. good morning to you, marla. starting with this live look of the bay bridge, no low clouds left over, but temperatures here are very comfortable. this is the place to be today because we're expecting temperatures to soar from the 70s where we are now to the triple digits in concord and livermore. the good news is our air quality could really be suffering with high pressure overhead, but it is not. we're in the good to moderate range across the bay area and we'll see more improvement that department as we head through the upcoming weekend. temperatures are going to be hot today, last day of triple digits, though, 100 degrees in livermore, 01 in fairfield. tomorrow, back down to the mid-90s and the 80s return with a little bit of rain, yeah, saturday into sunday. :57. here's your drive with mike.

the south bay looking nicer despite an earlier accident. 85 is cleared from the left side of your screen in the northbound direction, slow, though, from 280. heading up on 101, congestion and also in that congestion we have the amphitheater parkway off ramp closed to northbound 101. there's been an issue, water leaking, a natural spring. taken care of before it floods the roadway. you'll use the straw line or the moffett exits and take middlefield over there. let's look at fremont. the southbound side on the left coming toward us, still a little congested coming out of hayward into fremont by the time you get through milpitas. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television yes. you thought it would never get here. it's august 14th. so glad you guys are with us. we're grateful people today, aren't we? >> we're so grateful. you know what's so funny? when you write on our facebook page, we see it. >> one of us does. >> she's learning how to tweet and facebook. >> i know. >> and it's dangerous. >> the world is already a dangerous place and now i'm going to be doing that. no, no, no. i'm learning. we're going do a little piece on

it later. >> you are? >> yeah. >> anyway, we want to thank anybody who's come on our facebook page. a lot of people are congratulating you on your broadway show. >> i know. thank you, everybody. they're already buying tickets. remember, we told them the code word today. thank you, everybody. >> i'm reading this part but i'm not sure i agree with it. we're even agreeable with jean. >> yes, i love her. >> she sent us a photo and she said she named her chicken after me. >> why? >> that is rude. >> well, what did come first? the chicken or hoda? >> okay, okay. here's the -- that's rude. that's rude. >> the hairdo. >> that's rude. >> okay. here's the thing. >> you could be a rock star. they all wear their hair like that now. >> okay. first of all, you need to stay off twitter, okay? do not follow her at kat

kathielgifford. >> i tweet ed kim. >> how many followers do you have? >> so few because i just started. i facebooked that picture of you. >> which picture. >> the photo of you. it has 11,000 likes and 100 con kmenlts. >> okay. where was this posted? on our show page? >> aren't you proud of me. >> that's terrible. >> i didn't know they could resend it to somebody else and a whot lot did that. thank you, everybody. i'm learning a lot. >> i hate you on twitter. robert pattinson is out and about. you guys know that there was -- >> he has a new movie. >> the headline in the ""new york post" -- he was on "the daily show" with jon stewart.

>> and apparently is handling this very well. wouldn't you like to after something like that hole up someplace and lick your wounds and try to make sense of this. but, you know, part of making the movies, one of the huge commitments they make is to go off and promote it. >> when he went on jon stewart, he got ben & jerry's ice cream and said let's have girl talk. do we have a sound bite? let's listen. >> we're just a couple of gals talking. >> all right. my biggest problem in my life is i'm cheap, and i didn't hire a publicist. and every interview -- usually everything is scripted. i'm going to hire a publicist. >> he probably should. i wish him all the best. i wish her too. we all make mistakes in this life. at least she owned up to it. i wish the media would stop saying she humiliated him.

she's the one -- she humiliated herself and the man with her, not his wife. they broke their hearts. let's say the humiliation is for the person who does the humiliating thing. >> i like that. like that a lot. >> yeah. there's another thing you like a lot. >> which? >> hoda likes peeing in the pool. >> what are you talking about? where does this even come from? here's the thing. ryan seacrest made news. he interviewed ryan lochte and he admitted he urinates in the pool during warm-ups. >> not during races. [ toilet plushing ] >> michael phelps says he, too, does it. after all, they're in the pool for hours. look at that shot. >> he's peeing right now. >> he says they're in the pool for hours. who wants to get out and use the

bathroom. according to studies, one in six people say they, too, pea in the pool. >> i would tell cody not to pee in the pool. he'd get out and pee in the bush. i'd tell him, not the bush either. go into the house. >> i thought with the chlorine -- >> apparently not, hoda. the chlorine does not take care of all the germs. it depends on the pool and the chlorine and ph levels. apparently people are being ruder all the time. >> what's gross is when you're swimming, you see people put water in their mouth and spit it out. you've seen them swim. they swim, spit it out. it's all in there. >> haven't you ever been to a public school where it's closed for a while because something else happens? >> that's gross. >> i'm just saying. can tell if there's a slimy buildup -- >> let me say this. have you ever peeed in the

shower? >> it happens. you know what i'm very, very aware of, is how much water it takes time to flush. i think it's disgusting to leave something in the toilet for a long, long time. i think this through. say you have to potty, okay? just ppee-pee. why use all that water to flush when you're going in the shower and there's going to be water anyway. >> okay. that's a valid point. that's a valid point. >> that's pee-ta. good for the environment. >> the public restrooms, that's a hit -or-miss kind of thing. did you see what happened on the concourse? did you see this? >> no. >> there was all kinds of stuff in the men's public restroom. apparently a man had a problem. the steps that come down, all the way, all the way, all the

way. he never made it to the men's room. just saying. >> this discussion -- this chat is awful. this is the worst chat we've ever had. no, it is. >> i'm having fun. [ toilet flushing ] >> you were talking about the public restroom. >> i see you're supposed to squat because you're not supposed to sit down. have you ever sat down and didn't notice it was wet from the person before you? that's happened. >> sometimes that's why there's paper things but sometimes people leave their paper things. >> the thing is when you're in your stall and you see under the stalls their legs are spread out. i'm afraid to touch anything. i wave to the sensor that flushes it and you have to be very, very careful. all right. stay with our theme of the worst chat ever. there's a man selling -- okay. there's bird poop on a car

windshield that he says looks exactly like michael jackson. >> once it hardens he says. >> let's look at it. we'll be the judge. oh, my gosh. it does. anyway, he's not taking his -- sorry. is that -- why is it blue like that? ♪ people are strange >> the cost is $500. >> which is the cost of the windshield that you'd have to take off to sell it. all right. singer/song writer, she's now the leading lady. she's 22 years old. jordin sparks is here and robert pattinson. miley cyrus gets a new 'do. what do you think of her 'do? >> okay. >> we'll talk about it. >> and we're still happy for jennifer aniston. all the buzz. and we miss our kristen, but

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she was the youngest contestant ever to wing "american idol" now jordin sparks is making a film debut in the movie spt sparkle." >> she stars alongside the late whitney houston in what was to be her last film role. take a look. >> all right. so this is -- >> and she's here in the studio on the big promo tour, huh? >> how are you? >> i'm good. i ee good. we were talking about it and how everything is going. now the press tour is very different than doing something with cds. i'm singing and then there's a short little interview and i sing. now i want to take a vow of silence after this, i'm so exhausted. >> you have to trainer your voice a different way now,

right? >> yeah. >> and what way to kind of start your movie career alongside whitney houston. what a way to start, huh? >> taking out that she's an amazing actress. as a singer, i was like, oh, my gosh, this is whitney. >> she's a legend for a reason. >> exactly. she's always delivered on the big screen. and them you put that in and the pressure and this is like this is crazy. >> was she sort of mothering toward you on the set or what was the vibe between you and whitney? >> she was very nurturing. we all kind of sat up a little straighter when she walked into the room. she had a great sense of humor. she was this mama bear. she was to all of us. she called us her babies. she was there asking if we need anything, if we were okay. you know, we really bonded. i was the youngest one on set and she was this motherly, amazing woman and we kind of gravitated toward each other. >> she's also a very spiritual

person. there's a spiritual vibe through the whole thing, quite a change from the original movie. but what was going to ask you about that? did you see any sense of her struggling with addictions at all while you were working together? >> no. >> you didn't see this coming at all, right? >> no, no, not at all. it was really crazy because she walks in and she would have the biggest smile on her face. she would be blasting music, and she would just be ready to work. she e with us so excited. >> happy to work. >> pat houston said this was one of the happiest times in her life. so to be part of something that made her so happy, it was incredible. >> as for you, this was kind of the first time at the rodeo. did you take lessons -- >> we cried so much at one point. i talked to celine, the director, when do we get to the performances? i don't want to cry anymore. and he was like soon. but i didn't take any acting classes before that, but i did

look it over with this acting coach. his name is john kirby. and he read through the script with me before i did the audition and i memorized the script backward andforward. i knew everybody's lines. i knew exits and entrances. >> you came prepared. >> your role, you're part of a group of sisters who want to perform. you're sort of in the background in the beginning. you're the backup singer. >> i'm the song writer and the youngest of the sisters as well, but it's my dream to be the singer and the star, and i mischievously get my sisters to be a part of it. and then it goes throughout our journey and, you know, things that happen and the choices you make and how you deal with them. >> yeah. >> and then she finds her voice at the end. >> now what does your real-lifebuoyfriend, who's very cute, i think of your on screen kisses with your tv boyfriend, your movie boyfriend? >> at the time our relationship was really early and i said i have a kissing scene and he was

like, okay. then we went and saw it -- we went and did a special screening. he's in australia right now. we did a special screening. said, what did you think. he said i loved the movie but the kissing scenes -- i said, well, i told you i'm doing them. he said he's very excited for me. 's been so supportive. we celebrated our one year. >> good for you. >> oh, my gosh. >> you know what i want to know? what does your real-life mom think. >> come on over here. >> the mother of this beautiful talented child. >> come here, mommy. >> i'm sorry, you look like her sister. >> thank you. >> are you so proud of your girl? >> so proud. so proud. >> what was your reaction when she got an audition with whitney houston. what did you say? >> i knew she could do it. she had it in her. >> she's always been really supportive. actually there's a performance tonight and she's never seen it. >> you're going to walk the red

carpet and do the whole thing? >> that's going to taken two minutes. she's gorgeous already. >> congratulations to you, jordin, and to you. >> i love to see people's moms and see their relationships. do you have any more at home that are this talented and beautiful? >> yes, my son t.j. he's playing football. he's on a scholarship. >> amazing. we wish you all the best. great to see you. bobbie thomas with the latest trends. we love our bobbie. she's brought along some hot studs. yes, you heard me right. [ barks ] [ announcer ] all work and no play... will make allie miss her favorite part of the day. [ laughing ] that's why there's beneful baked delights. from crispy crackers to shortbread cookie dog snacks, they're oven-baked to surprise and delight.

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we're back with tuesday's trend and everything old is new again from spikes to studs. heavy metal has made its way back to cool. >> our gal bobbie thomas is showing off the latest hardware

that's sleek, chic and sophisticated. >> i took a vacation and i don't do it very often. >> you never do that. >> i missed you so much. >> i can't believe it. walking down the street in lisbon, people said, vino, vino show. >> studs are in. >> studs are everywhere. we saw them on the spring runways and fall runways and they've really made a comeback. we have some pictures. this is katy perry with her versace runway dress. we have jada picket smith and die ane kruger and her studded flats, that parisian look. they're put on lace and brocades, very subtle feminine looks. but, of course, the easiest way to jump in on a trend is with

accessories. when you go to a stoll, it's hard to find things that are not studded. here are my tips. these are affordable. >> why did you put them next to me? >> look for something that is either in a traditional shape or a neutral color. black, sage, navy. that balances out the edge. if you get a hot pink bag with studs, it's too much. you can add a little on the shoe. you'll see them on one of my models. even on the shoe. and a stud in the ear can add some edge. >> let's bring out some of your folks. let's bring out lorraine. tell us about her look. >> what i love about lorraine's look is she's the epitome of studded looks. she's about classic modern pieces that are reinvented. you go to the store and you don't think about looking at the

white button-down blouse. you see on the collar a bit of it. and the shoe even with this fantastic pony hair flat. it's got a little studded detail. obviously i put them all together for the look today, but just one of these pieces will instantly update your look. >> don't overdo it. you could get hurt. >> the other thing about this is you'll use this for years to come. this on the i have on is something i got three or four years ago and it still looks okay. >> by the way. you're losing weight for your wedding. >> no, i'm eating pastries every single day. >> who's up next? >> keisha. keisha is someone i wanted to help me show off the way you can really add a little modern twist to a feminine dress. this dress is beautiful. it's from 9 west, but in all honesty anyone over 40 could potentially look matronly.

it's a little much. especially with a print like that, if you put that bold studded belt, you can find studs -- they're always around, it really anchors the dress and gives it a balance. so pieces you might not normally think about wearing together makes the perfect complement. >> that looks great. >> thank you, keisha. >> next we have maye. >> hi, maye. >> uber class. >> this is from kohl's. it comes in four colors. it's something you could wear to the office or a luncheon. you could even wear this with jeans or a t-shirt on the weekends. a studded jacket like this is going to be an update to your basic blazer. one thing i like about this jacket is the sleeves don't have the studs shoo sstuds. >> i love it. >> come on out, ladies.

welcome back. >> welcome home, honey. we've got the juicy buzz coming up. the details on jennifer's engagement and a member of the joy's fit club. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat.

plus i get two boxtops for their school. mmmm, just how satisfying of new light & fit greek? morning donut cookies chips, chips,...! silence those tempting thoughts with new light & fit greek. its creamy thick texture helps satisfy you. it has twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt. and at 80 calories it's the lightest greek yogurt with fruit. cupcake! it's not gonna happen. new light & fit greek. be light and fit and satisfied. it is 10:26. good morning. i'm marla tellez. this week the city of santa rosa is making its bid to host the eighth and final stage of next year's amgen bicycle race. city leaders will turn in their formal bids by friday's deadline.

this last may the race drew a crowd of 40,000 people to downtown santa rosa. the amgen tour has visited santa rosa six times since it began in '06, but there's no guarantee they will visit next year. escondido and san diego county is bidding to host the tour's starting event on may 12th. we'll take a look at the forecast and the roads after the break. [ female announcer ] safeway presents

real big deals of the week. or how to get great prices on things you need. we know you look around for the best deals. that's why we give you real big club card deals each week. this week, local seedless grapes straight off the vine are just 79 cents a pound. starbucks coffee is only $7.49. that's less than a quarter for a great cup of coffee. tropicana o.j. is just $2.88. real big deals this week and every week. only at safeway. ingredients for life. welcome back. the time is 10:28. live look over san jose. what you can see from this picture is the sun is out in

full force but there's kind of a tropical feel out there. kind of an overcast sky, as well. hazy conditions. we are going to get more of that tropical moisture for the weekend, maybe even some showers in the north bay by saturday. but today will be another hot one inland. 76 degrees right now in concord and livermore. we've got good to moderate air quality. feel free to open up the windows as temperatures approach the triple digits. as we head throughout the next couple days, temperatures drop off even more so heing into the weekend. we'll talk about that at 11:00. >> it is tropical. i have an umbrella in my coffee. bay bridge, the approach still slow, it's 10:29 so, this should clear over the next half hour. back to the maps, show you what's going on southbound 101, slow into and through san mateo so, it starts just south of the airport but the lanes are clear and that's better news. north bay -- south bay we're looking at southbound 880, and northbound 101, coming through the area. there you are at shoreline. back to you. >> thanks.

coming up at 11:00, a computer glitch has the dmv paralyzed statewide. what's going on is we're back with more of "today." we've got the inside scoop to everything from jennifer's engagement. >> here's rob. hello, rob. >> hello. >> so, robert pattinson spoke. >> sat down for the first time since the scandal with jon stewart. >> it was scandalous. >> it was scandalous. i think jon did a good job. it's a really tricky interview. he chose not to actually mention her name. he offered him ice cream and they sat there and talked. he said it was girl talk. made light of it. robert was a little

uncomfortable. smiles a lot. the most profound thing jon said when you're young going through a break-up you feel like your world is coming to an end and then they left it alone. >> why don't we move on to another scandalous topic. >> oh, let's do it. >> miley cyrus's new hair cut. >> miley cyrus clipped up her hair. >> why? she's at great place right now. >> she's always admired twiggy. >> she's from 1960. >> i know. she cut all all her hair. she put it on twitter and people blew up. they went crazy. >> crazy good or -- >> not good. she said she felt more comfortable with this look. the man who did it is the one who created jennifer aniston's

"rachel" hair do. >> what are the chances of that. >> she's young and 19. >> i wonder what her fiancee thinks about it. next bobbi kissing her brother. >> he's not technically her brother. he was never actually adon'ted by whitney officially, but he has lived with the family since she was very, very young. she's very close with nick. she did tweet them kissing and they both gotta tattoo'd. >> do you remember what you did with that quiz a couple of fridays ago? >> he doesn't speak english. he's from england. >> our friend who we love, krist krist

kristen chen wet, she's not going to be on. >> this makes me very serious. there's not been a single picture of her. she has been on twitter saying she's getting better. >> she's not in the hospital. >> it also makes me very worried. she canceled a couple of theater engagements and benefits. she loves that broadway community. anything to make her cancel that make mess wonder what shape she's in. >> when you remember how the accident was described that and she's so tiny. we send our love. we hope you're watching, kristen. we send our love. >> absolutely. jennifer aniston is engaged. >> i love this story. there was a rumor floating around that her dad didn't know she was getting engaged. to set the record straight, he said he knew but whenever a reporter called, he played dumm. >> they had a rift and they

healed. even her and her mother. we haven't seen the ring yet. she was spotted yesterday. she wasn't wearing the ring because she was on a movie set. don't believe the rumors. she is engaged. >> i'm happy for them that they've been able to keep the relationship private. >> it's not easy. she's one of the most recognized people in the world. >> he looks like a very, very solid guy. unlike you, rob. all right. the newest member of the joy's fit club shows off her new body after dropping nearly half her weight. that's right. you heard me right. right after this. [ female announcer ] teach your kids to shield, sneeze, swish

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i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! my bowl, my spoons! mom, are those my jeans? [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios has whole grain and 110 delicious calories. ...more grains. less you! multigrain cheerios in multi-grain cheerios peanut butter.

and we're back now with the joy fit club and the induction of its newest member. her name is bethany taylor and she's 28 years old. let's take a listen to her story. >> my name is bethany taylor and i once weighed 252 pounds. i was always an overweight child, and my weight continued to increase throughout high school and college. in graduate school a close friend of mine passed away and shortly after my father suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm and came very close to death. between trying to finish my degree, returning to the icu every evening to visit my dad, grieving for my friend, and seeking employment i went to a

very dark place and turned to food for comfort. in july of 2009 i saw a picture of myself and was shocked and disappointed by what i saw. i decided to see how much i really weighed and could not believe that my weight had skyrocketed to 252 pounds. i quickly decided that now was the time to do something about my overall health. i began making little changes in my diet and exercising more. two and a half years later i reached all of my weight loss goals. i now work out regularly and have a completely different relationship with my food. i lost the weight on my own without a trainer or a diet plan and i want people to know they can do it too. losing weight does not require a lot of money, just a lot of heart. >> wow. what a -- i love her voice. >> i do too. >> and joy bauer is the leader of the joy fit club. you're in love with this lady. >> i am in love with this lady, and you are too. it also allowed her to transform

her entire look on life. she used to be a glass half empty person and she's totally a half glass full. >> the fact that she was able to recognize it and put a finger on it and turn the page. >> she had so many smart strategies and one that stood out for me. everyone veers off on the weekends. she practices on monday, meatless monday, all vegetarian to help her reboot. one thing she loves to have for dinner is a small amount of whole wheat noodles with lots of different vegetables and seasonings. two of mine. this is a baked potato topped with black beans and salsa. that's it. a little bit of dijon and cumin. >> that's delicious. >> vegetarian fricatta and

vejtabvej vegetables. i'll post this on facebook so everyone can enjoy it. >> oh, my gosh. >> no, no, no. >> can you believe that? look at those arms. >> go hit her. >> i want to make sure it's real. >> hi, bethany. >> bethany, you are amazing. >> thank you. >> no diet plan, nothing from a book or no trainer? what was -- how did you do it? >> i just had to use the top of my head. i was underemployed at the time, so i had to use the things that were given to me. it was also attitude. have what you are, use what you have and do what you can. i used the workout dvds around the house. >> did you cut food out? i heard about the meatless mondays. is that how you did it? >> one thing i did was stop eating a lot of fast food. >> tell them what your mantra is because it's so powerful. >> pushing past pain through prayer, faith, and persistence.

>> write that down. >> i love that. >> congratulations. >> we're so proud of you. >> congratulations. you look gorgeous. coming up next, we're going to have healthy no-cook meals to get you out of the kitchen fast. >> first we're going to have messages. [ male announcer ] in a world where breakfast has become boring and tasteless... only one man can save the day... ♪ with his sweet and nutty, sweet and nutty crunchy nut ♪ delicious! [ male announcer ] kellogg's crunchy nut. it's super delicious.

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that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never! come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh? mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need.

we're back with today's kitchen and what's cooking? guess what. absolutely nothing. >> if you don't have time to slave over a hot stove, something easy and healthy. hi. >> hi. >> so really no turning on the stove? nada happening here? >> no stove, maximum deliciousness. >> you had to peel the avocado. >> yes, i did. >> so what are we making? >> we're going to start with chicken and guacamole toestadas.

they're next to the taco shells. >> salsa or tomatoes? >> it's tomatoes now but it's about to be salsa once you add in cilantro, onions and jalapenos. >> you had to cut these. >> yes. >> that's false advertising. >> and lemon. >> somebody had to squeeze this. now it's no cooking. >> i want to give a smoky flavor to that chicken. that's pepper. >> i shamed her into it. >> is this paprika? >> quarter teaspoon, very smoky and a little bit of lime juice and the usual guac suspects here. tomato, onion, lime juice, garlic. are you ready to go? >> uh-huh.

>> i'm going put my diamondback m guacamole on the bottom. that's about 350 calories next to chicken. >> it's healthy. >> that looks delicious. >> how delicious is that. >> come on down. >> it's got crab meat in it. i'm going to have to test it. >> please do. >> what do you have in there? >> crab, corn, and tomato salad with a lemon bales viniagrette. that's what that vinaigrette does. the lemon, boom, perks it up. the corn, no cook. you can just cut it right off. >> in the living room, not in the kitchen. all righty. that looks delicious. >> there you go. isn't that nice? >> sure. it looks really good. >> i hope you like the contrast of that corn and crab. >> we will let you know. >> mmm. >> mmm. >> what do you think? >> i want to try this too.

>> go for it. >> what's happening down here? we've got about a minute. >> this is roasted chicken and white bean salad. begin, very good neutral ingredients to start. canned white beans are terrific. go for it. canned white beans are terrific. >> let's take it back. >> nice. >> mix all that up. >> you don't have to heat anything up. get the organic, 33% less sodium. of course, rinse off the sodium. >> do you have to put the onions in it? >> yes. people like onions. put in the red wine vin bar and the lemon juice, it will be super perky. >> in the kitchen. >> sault. the olive oil. >> thank you. okay. >> cook light. we love our flavors. again, very vivid flavors. a little pepper for you. >> why do we have such an epidemic of diabetes and obesity in our country when all we hear is people are cooking lightly. we don't have time for that answer.

guess what? sara's going to get in touch with her roots. but first this is "today" on nbc. you're a good sport.

get who's back. sara's back. today she takes us home with her to iowa where corn is big business as sara hit the fields to tackle the most popular summer jobs in the air yachl by the way, hi. >> i missed you. >> i missed you too. so i went to iowa while we were gone. >> of course, you did sniet was my first summer job as a teen. it's called deas theling. pulling tassels off the stalk and it's highly coveted among children of the corn. welcome to another day of deas the ling.

it's 4:00 a.m. in iowa but these kids aren't headed to school. why are you on the back of the bus? >> it's a cool place to sit. >> they're headed to their summer day's job as corn detassel detasselers. they sworm cornfields and pull the tassels off select plants. the pay starts at minimum wage for most. >> you won't want corn on the job until do you this job every day. >> i know about it all too well except i'm having trouble remembering exactly how it's done. we're in a cornfield. this is christine. she's my buddy. it's been a while since i have actually seen a tassel so you're going to show me how to do it again and we're going to be the slowest low every. >> this right here is a tassel. >> okay. and you pull it. it seems simple new but it sets it up for future corn.

it grows with both male and female parts. by pulling off the tassel, the male part, the corn is forced to cross-pollinate with other strains creating a more vibrant vital seed. >> tassel. whoop, whoop. >> for every male left untouched there are four female rows that have to be detasseled. there's a lost ground to cover so we pull and push forward. >> i'm going to pull this out. done. it's done. >> bloomer. >> bloomer! >> what's that? these? that's a bloomer. >> that's a bloomer. is it good luck? >> no. >> that's bad. >> oh. >> that's what you don't want. >> that's what you don't want to miss? >> in a sea of green this job requires an eye for details. each crew has four de-tasslers and one checker following behind to make sure we don't miss anything. >> a whip is just one that's hard to pull.

i don't know officially -- >> it's bent over. it looks like it's going to smack you. >> ow. how do you guys motivate to get up so early, seriously? >> money. >> money? are you saving for anything? >> college books. >> it gets hot under the blazing sun and protective gear so when you finally reach the end of a row, relief is what you feel. >> victory dance, we finished our row. >> we've tot go back. >> okay. i was celebrating a little prematurely, early. >> with over a million acres of corn plant add i cross the u.s. each year, a detasseler's job is never done. >> oh, my god. i hope this is lucrative work. >> that's why you do it. >> were you totally exhausted by the end of the day? >> totally wiped off, exhausted.

we were hosed down. >> thank you, sara. tomorrow, actress molly ring wald and back-to-school fashions. good-bye, everybody. we'll see you tomorrow.